We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly. We support the following browsers:
Windows:Internet Explorer,
Mozilla Firefox,
Google Chrome.
Mac:Safari.

This was my first all inclusive experience and i... - Review of Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

I just returned from a 5 night 6 day trip to the Iberostar Beach resort in Rosehall/Montego Bay!! My husband and i went with two other couples we are good friends with and had an extraordinary time!! This was my first all inclusive experience and i couldnt be happier. One of the couples we went with are experienced travelers who have stayed at several all inclusives and said this was one of the nicest and they would definitely return!

The food was great in my humble opinion but i am an adventurous eater and not very picky. there were several restaurants to choose from and my favorite was the Japanese hibachi (incredible!!) and the steakhouse (fabulous and my husbands favorite as well) i thought the cajun was very good too and the waiter ricardo at the cajun was the best waiter i have ever had he was so wonderful and attentive!!! the buffet was great (breakfast was my favorite buffet everyday) they had alot too choose from and also had alot of comfort food for those less adventurous eaters. I was hoping to have more native food that i cant have in new york but overall my dining experience was excellent!! we did leave the resort to go to local eateries for lunch so may i suggest scotchies jerk chicken and their "festival" which tasted alot like a zeppole its only 10 minutes from the resort and on the mainroad!

the resort was incredible!! the beach was beautiful and the water was so blue and clear even in 25 feet of water you could see straight down to the bottom!! we went parasailing which was a bit more money but worth every penny!!! it was so incredible i wish i had brought my camera up with me!! you can see the other two parts of the resort iberostar suites and soon to open vip which look incredible!! they had canoing and water sports available for free but we spent most of our time in the pool - i have seen complaints about missing pool tiles which i find humorous since the tiles are tiny only about an inch each. the pool is an infinity edge pool overlooking the beach with a swim up bar and two sections, one for the bar the other for water sports (basketball, volleyball, and free scuba dive tutorials). the pool has a deck dividing the two sections and lined with palm trees its absolutely gorgeous!!

We also did the cool runnings dunns river falls catamarran (sp?) excursion which took us scuba diving, climbing the falls, and a party boat. it was wonderful!! dunns river falls is incredible!!! i am glad we did the boat excursion though because it only took about 30 minutes to climb so it was nice to have other things to do also. if you are going to the falls bring water shoes for the climb we had to rent them from the boat and it would have been more comfortable with your own shoes, also have a disposable water camera because you will get totally soaked and cant bring your regular camera and the experience is so incredible i wish i had photos!! the falls are gorgeous!!!!

i wish we had more time to do more things they had so many exciting and wonderful excursions but it was also so wonderful to just relax at the resort!! the staff was unbelievably nice and just so incredible!! the entertainment staff were so wonderful they had so many events scheduled and worked so hard to make sure everyone was having a wonderful time!! they also spoke several languages and made it a point to learn everyones name to address you by your first name and treat you like old friends!! they definitely had something for everyone!! and the waitstaff were phenomenal!! i have to mention ricardo again because he was just so incredible!!! and of course gary the poolside bartender was fabulous!!!

the rooms were beautiful each setup like a suite with a pullout couch sitting area near the balcony. they were large with comfortable beds and the bathroom was huge. the shower was wonderful i loved the shower head its was like showering in a light tropical rain! there was a stocked refrigerator included for free with softdrinks water and beer, a coffe/tea pot, and room service for no extra charge. they were clean and so comfortable i loved it!! we had no problems checking in either and they greeted us with mixed drinks for the girls and red stripes for the boys in the main lobby while john the bellhop got our bags!! the staff was excellent in the lobby as well. when checking in my friends were teasing each other and the woman at the desk was concerned they were upset with each other and called the room later to make sure they were okay and if there was anything she could do! travel to and from the airport was all included and arranged by the hotel so we had nothing to stress out about. check out was at 12 and our flight was at 4:45 however they were so accommodating checking our bags and allowing us to hang out at the hotel and have lunch, to keep our rooms only would have been an extra $10 an hour if we chose too. they even gave us drinks to go.

they had their own club the "jammin bar" and also a kid friendly cabaret kind of club with a different performance each night. both were very nice. they also had karaoke but if you want to sing along to billy joel you'll need to bring it with you. again they had different activities at both clubs to keep you entertained and the service was excellent!!

all in all a 5 star review i would love to go back and definitely intend to try other iberostar resorts around the world!!

Liked — i loved the whole resort!!! but daytime activities was the best!!

Disliked — they didnt have much at night for a young crowd looking to stay up late and have some fun

Stayed December 2008, traveled with friends

Value

Location

Check in / front desk

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Helpful?

5Thank mystere341

Report

Ask mystere341 about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

This was my 40th birthday trip. Ive never been to jamaica so i really didn't know what to expect. Went for 5 days 4 nites. I'd heard alot of comments about the locals and how they live being depressing to some people. I guess since i'd heard that it didn't bother me, i was expecting to see plywood houses and etc. This is the first time i ever stayed at an Iberostar or all inclusive either. Well, despite the missing pool tiles(?) i had the greatest time. We arrived at the hotel around 1:30 in the afternoon so I did have to wait about 2 hours for my room to be ready but it was fine we went to the buffet and had a late lunch. It was only about a 20 to 30 minute bus ride to the hotel from the airport. We only ate at the buffet and the grill, i had alittle trouble finding things that apeeled to me but i have a funny stomach. My boyfriend though tried alittle of everything. The staff was great, johhny one of the bell hops was very helpfull and BIG momma, what a trip she is. Only took one trip to the falls, it was ok, the day was cloudy and had rained in the morning so maybe if it would have been sunny and hot it would have been better. Bad part leaving there to go back to the bus, locals pushing there goods on you. I want to go to the Dom Rep will try to stay at the Iberostar there as well had a wonderful time here.

Liked — location

Disliked — the beach water

Stayed November 2008, traveled with friends

Value

Location

Check in / front desk

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Business service (e.g., internet access)

Helpful?

4Thank dawny1107

Report

Ask dawny1107 about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

We stayed for two weeks in Iberostar JamaicaThe hotel is magnificent, and we had an excellent time.We tried all the restaurants no complaints , except the last night as the hotel got busier , When we went to the buffet restaurant tables were not being cleared or cleaned, found it difficult to find a clean table to have a meal.not enought staff on.Out side grounds and pool area were kept very clean.The entertainment staff round the pool put in a lot of effort to entertain you all day and night,the only down side was that we found out that they did not pay the trainee entertainers,they were taken on a two weeks training programe, some were still trainee five weeks later and still no pay , when asked if they had a job for them they were told no but you can stay on if you wish.( Slave labour)Found the Jamaican people very frendly.Definately would go back to Jamaica.

John & Evelyn Scotland

Liked — Very Clean

Disliked — nothing

Stayed October 2008, traveled as a couple

Helpful?

6Thank Jock53

Report

Ask Jock53 about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

We stayed at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach for the last week of October. The resort is really nice, grounds are beautiful and the service is great.

Our room was beautiful, oceanview, everything worked and it was cleaned daily. The A/C controls were right next to the bed so you didn't have to wake up at night if you wanted to change the temp.

We liked all the restaurants, especially the Japanese and Steakhouse. I don't really understand the people in these reviews who say the food was "really bad".

The entertainment team works really hard to keep you entertained and the shows at night were also very good. They work long hours but always seem to have a smile on their faces.

The only thing I didn't like about the resort was the size of the beach, but I knew about that before we left. We never experienced any problems during our trip except for a couple cloudy days! Overall a really nice resort and great vacation spot. I would rate it as a 4 star.

Liked — Pool, Restaurants, Room and Great Service

Disliked — Beach

Stayed October 2008, traveled as a couple

Value

Location

Check in / front desk

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Business service (e.g., internet access)

Helpful?

5Thank Gen88

Report

Ask Gen88 about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Okay, we just got back from a company trip to Iberostar Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The pictures you see on this site are accurate...the landscaping and grounds are very nice and kept up.

The negatives:

The food- in all honesty it was pretty bad. The best meal I had was at the steakhouse. The Japenese steakhouse was not horrible but the lunch buffets were pretty bad. Everything I ate went right through me.

This was a free trip but I believe this resort is pretty inexpensive, so you get what you pay for.

The Good Stuff:

However, the staff is great! This was my second time to Jamaica (I stayed at Sandals Dunns River Falls before) and although the resort in itself (and definitely the food) was much nicer/better- the staff was top notch at Iberostar.

The beach was nice- plenty of room if the beach is your thing. The pool was really nice and relaxing.

The rooms are nice enough & the bathrooms are very nice for the price you pay for this resort.

Bottom line- it is not the Ritz but a very nice and relaxing getaway for an inexpensive price.

We liked it enough to book another little 5 day get away in January. As for the food, the resort is so economical we can definitely afford to go off the resort and eat.

The drinks though were NOT watered down (so good value there)

Liked — The staff and the pool

Disliked — The food

Stayed October 2008, traveled on business

Value

Location

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Business service (e.g., internet access)

Helpful?

5Thank graceleigh

Report

Ask graceleigh about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

My husband and I just returned from a week (Oct 3 – 10) at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel. Overall it was a good time but we would not return. If we went back to Jamaica we would go to Negril simply for the beaches and sunsets.

Check-In

Arrived after 9 pm – check in was quick. Shown room & amenitiesBathroom mirror was disgusting – permanent streaks/scratching (perhaps humidity). Went back to front desk to change rooms, they advised to return in the morning. We did and they offered us two other rooms – one was a worse view, overlooking a lounge area 10 feet below and the other a little better then our first so we took it.

Rooms

Very nice - good size with large bathroom. King size bed very comfortable and also a sofa and chair in the room. If you like to sit on the balcony make sure to ask for one with posts and not the concrete wall. Otherwise when you sit all you will see is the wall and no pool/ocean view. This room we could see the pool and ocean when we sat outside. Mini bar stocked every other day – beer, water and soft drinks. Towels you put in the tub if you want them changed. Air conditioning worked perfectly and if you wanted to cool down the room it happened quickly.

Meals

Husband LOVED all of it – especially the meat & pork dishes and all different rice they make every night. If you like Spanish food you should have no problem. I am a very picky plain eater but there was always pasta, breads, soups, pizza, seafood, chicken, turkey and lots of desserts to choose from. We ate at the buffet most of the time but there are three a la cartes – Japanese (heard it was ok), Cajun (heard it was ok), Steak House (we ate here and enjoyed it). The Steak House is also the beach grill from 12 – 6 and has a smaller buffet from the main restaurant and it was good for a quick bite – hot dogs/burgers/fish/fries/rice/salad.

Beach/Pool

BeachWe were disappointed – our favourite beach so far is in Cayo Coco, Cuba – miles of powder white sand. This one had a buoy line about 150 ft out where locals in kayaks tried to sell you products – if you acknowledge and give a polite but firm no they will leave you alone. Sand was not powdery white a few little rocks and lots of little shells. Water was nice and warm – some seaweed around – some parts were a bit mushy when you stood in it. There were lots of little fish and a few small crabs in the water. Always lots of chairs to choose on the beach (we were there low season).

Snorkelling gear, kayaks and catamarans (if you know how to use) are free to take out (1hr/day). For a fee there is scuba diving and parasailing. Beach only goes in front of hotel (no long walks on the beach). One side a local craft market – security guards warned against going there. Other site Suites hotel security guard will stop you from walking here. We spoke with management and they let us walk the beach in front of the suites and also the other adult’s only portion they are building. Still that’s the entire beach you can walk on.

PoolHuge pool with swim up bar and adjacent is a whirlpool (same water temperature just some jets around) and then beside that is the activity pool with basketball nets. The pool bar also serves ice cream.

Entertainment

The friendliest entertainers (Star Friends) we have ever encountered. In the mornings games were on the beach and the afternoon at the pool. They are always trying to encourage guests to join in and if you do you can win free bottles of rum, t-shirts & hats. Be aware though they will just come and sit with you and chat on the beach and pool. Also at breakfast they may ask to join you at your table. We enjoyed this but I know some people might not. Nightly shows were pretty good for a resort. A few nights it was more of guest interaction shows and then others were the typical dancing shows. Also one night they had a beach party with a local band and fire dancer. I would say that was the best.

Hotel Itself

Grounds are very nice but more of a hotel not a resort. We’ve stayed at both and plus/minus to each. Plus is you are close to the beach, pool – everything really so if you forget something in your room it’s easy to go back and grab it. Minus would be there is not really much to look at or wander around the grounds.

They have a desk you can book massages at for on the beach or in your room. Convenience store, gift shop, jewellery store and photo place you can buy items at. They also have an internet room, Pool room (two tables) with books/magazines as well, casino room (few machines), music bar, cigar lounge and a gym. Since we were here low season half of these were not open or empty most of the time. Lobby is A/C with a large bar and lots of places to sit down. Night show is in a theatre in middle of resort with large bar. Turns into a disco at 11:30 but we never went. Given it’s in the middle of the hotel you never hear the music if you are trying to sleep.

One thing we missed a lot was local artists coming to display crafts & items to sell. Everywhere else we have gone hotels would have this a couple of nights during a week and we were very disappointed that Iberostar did not offer this. There are shopping excursions but they often don’t take you to the locals.

Excursions

Cost of any excursions is roughly $50-$150 U.S. + depending what you want to do. We ended up choosing the Luminous Lagoon and my husband also went to Dunn’s River Falls. The Lagoon was $55 U.S. per person. It was neat but far from $55 worth – perhaps $30 or less. It’s only about 15 min from the hotel if you want something close and about 2 hrs. Drive there – get a drink, get on the boat 45 min tour around and then back to your ride to your hotel.

Dunn’s river falls – my husband really enjoyed. It is approximately 1.5 hr drive from the hotel. We had an issue with Sunwing as we met our tour rep on Sat afternoon for orientation – Lisa. She talked about all the tours briefly but not other background on Jamaica or other info as we have had in the past in Cuba, Mexico and Dominican Republic. We went on Sunday to book Dunn’s river Falls for Mon and the Lagoon for Tues evening. She rescheduled the Falls saying Mon not full, Tues she thought timing to tight with the Lagoon tour, Wed not full. Thur was our last day and she then ended up putting my husband with a different tour company and the tour left earlier in the day which means any of those other days we could have gone. I was very disappointed in Sunwing and our trip rep after finding this out.

Sunwing

Decent plane ride and movies – give you tiny glass of champagne going and a hot meal + snack plus the headphones for free. Return they charge $1 for headphones if you misplaced them while at your hotel. Transfer from airport to hotel was about 20 min but we had to wait close to an hour so everyone could find the bus it seemed. Airport arriving is hot but we were lucky as we were the only flight in so it was fairly quick. Returning again check-in was quick and it’s a fairly nice airport.

I was disappointed in the lack of knowledge from our tour rep – Lisa. She is new to the job (6 months) perhaps they need more training. Very disappointed that I missed the Falls excursion after learning we could have booked with other tour companies. In addition Sunwing was originally charging $60/half day at falls the new company was only $43. Also at one point other tour reps from different companies were doing her work since she did not seem to be forceful enough with some of the tour operators or hotels. Suggest if you want specific tours/days then if she can’t do it speak with other tour operators.

Liked — Food & entertainment staff

Disliked — Beach

Stayed October 2008, traveled as a couple

Value

Location

Check in / front desk

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Helpful?

10Thank Beach_traveller7

Report

Ask Beach_traveller7 about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Iberostar has alot of things right at this property. It is clean, the rooms are very nice, the restaurants are quite good overall, the pool (while a bit on the tired side) is in a beautiful spot, and the beach is great. The Entertainment staff , while extremely friendly, are actually a bit too friendly.....they come by and sit on your beach chair and visit for what I felt was too long....and it seems like they are hoping for you to give them money. The entertainment activities really need a freshening up...they are dated, and actually much more about the entertainment group than they are about engaging the guests into activities...which generally is much more fun to watch and participate in. Night entertainment is virtually non existant. It was literally a bore at night. There were bars open without one guest in them because they were so dull. For a carribean island, I think Iberostar is missing the boat on a lot of repeat guests due to the fact that they don't capitalize on the weather and destination by having more energetic music and night time atmosphere at the beautiful property they have. I will not return.

Liked — location and beach were nice

Disliked — night life non-existent

Stayed October 2008, traveled with family

Value

Location

Check in / front desk

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Helpful?

5Thank olderoneUsa

Report

Ask olderoneUsa about Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

This new 5-star- hotel is located in beautiful Montego Bay, Jamaica. Directly on the beach. Elegant colonial design. Water sports galore. Scuba diving. 3 specialty restaurants. ...more less

Reservation Options:

TripAdvisor is proud to partner with VISIT US, INC. , Hotels.com, Booking.com, Orbitz, Odigeo, Priceline and Travelocity so you can book your Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.

Also Known As:

Iberostar Montego Bay

Montego Bay Iberostar

Iberostar Rose Hall Jamaica

Iberostar Jamaica

Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel Jamaica - Montego Bay

Is This Your TripAdvisor Listing?

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

* TripAdvisor LLC is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site... (more)

We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly. We support the following browsers:
Windows:Internet Explorer,
Mozilla Firefox,
Google Chrome.
Mac:Safari.

TripAdvisor LLC is not responsible for content on external web sites. Taxes, fees not included for deals content.